Legatum
by elipotter18
Summary: After the battle on Exogol, Rey and Ben leave all that they knew behind and head off alongside their friends into unseen lands. A few years later, they are happily settled on Earth, fitting in seamlessly with the other humans. No one brings up the force, and no one EVER brings up the war. That is, until a young Skywalker accidentally uncovers something that might lead to the truth.


A quiet thrum of voices from downstairs made Kyber jerk awake, unstick his sweaty cheek from his hand, and look around himself.

Great-Grandma Kira's chilly attic greeted him, with its dangling cobwebs and soot covered ground.

"You want this?" Right on cue, his father emerged from the staircase, holding out Kyber's sweater to him.

His son nodded, eyes a little unfocused as he tried to recall to mind the dream he'd been having.

"Are you planning on staying up here all night?"

"Hm?" Kyber glanced up at him. "Oh… no, no I don't think so. Not the whole night, Dad. Maybe just a bit more. Is- is that ok?"

"That's fine, Kyber." His father drew closer, a worried look creasing the skin between his brows. "Are you sure you're doing ok?"

Kyber hid his face in the fabric of his sweatshirt before pulling it entirely over his head. "I'm fine, Dad." He patted his father's hand bracingly. "Really."

"Do I get a smile?"

Kyber shot an exaggerated, toothy flash of a grin up at him and held it.

"That's better." Ben lay his free hand on his son's hair and mussed it affectionately. "…Try not to break anything."

Kyber scrambled to his feet. "How come?"

Ben cast a long glance around, choosing his words carefully before replying. "Well, besides that it would be a little careless of you and a waste of hard work and manufacturing… uh… there are some things up here that _can't_ be replaced."

Kyber picked up an old costume and sniffed it, recoiling with a grimace. "What? Like this?" he tossed it easily to his father.

"Well… no… I mean, yes." Ben Solo closed his eyes for a moment. "Everything is… are you _sure_ you don't want to come down with me?"

"Yes. Ewan's going to make us deaf before our time and Reina brought over her coloring book…"

"What's wrong with a nice coloring book?"

Kyber shrugged. "Well… nothing, really. Only… it seems a bit of a waste, doesn't it? I mean, we can always color. We're not always at Great Grandma Kira's house."

Ben's lip curled in amusement.

"See? I'm learning, Dad."

"I can see that."

"So… can I stay here a little longer?"

"Can you be careful?"

Kyber folded his arms over his chest with a mock offended look on his face. "Aren't I always?"

Ben gently placed the costume back on a chest and nodded. "We'll see. And about staying- fine. But… you _will_ come down at some point, right? I mean… there isn't much gained by coming, even if it is to Great Grandma Kira's house, if you don't talk to her, now is there?"

"That much is true, _dear_ father." Kyber acquiesced. "You got me." He stood and clapped his hands on Ben's torso, steering him to the door. "Have fun. Don't break too much china down there."

"How come?"

Kyber snickered. "Just don't." he donned a deeper voice. "It'll have to come out of your pocket money, young man, to replace it."

"As if you could afford that type of a china collection." Ben replied with a faint smile.

"Yeah, yeah." Kyber paused as Ben looked back at him over his shoulder. "You want to bring me something up?"

"You want me to?"

"Nope."

"No…?"

"No thanks." Kyber considered this, head tilted. "Actually, on second thought- send Ewan or someone up with a sandwich or something later, ok?"

"We're having a family dinner, kiddo."

"Oh! Great, well, that's even better. Let me know when Great Grandma is done making tea for everyone and I'll come down and hold a dignified conversation with her, deal?"

Ben smirked. "Deal."

"_About_ tea."

"Mmm. That sounds too interesting to miss out on. I'll have to listen in."

Kyber did end up going downstairs that evening.

_Before_ dinner, with his hands and face scrubbed as he'd been instructed to, in order to interact with his elderly relative without having her at risk of catching something.

Only instead of being received with welcome arms and familiar greetings, a plate crashed to the ground and scattered across the ground and somewhere on the edges of his consciousness, he was aware that Rose let out a terrified yelp.

Everyone else was perfectly still as they gaped in utter horror at the newcomer.

"Um…" Kyber took a small step back, shoulders shooting up to his ears, as he allowed a hand to reach up to his hair self-consciously. "Uh…"


End file.
